No sex offender registration for man who had sex with minor

DOVER, Del. - (AP) - A Delaware judge says a Maryland man who had sex with an underage girl does not have to register as a sex offender.

Robert C. O'Dell pleaded guilty to third-degree unlawful sexual contact after being indicted on charges of having sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 19 years old. Court records indicate that the girl met O'Dell online then ran away with him after her mother kicked him out of their house.

After noting the ambiguity and confusion in Delaware's sex offender registry law, the judge determined this week that misdemeanor offenders like O'Dell can petition for relief from having to register as sex offenders.

Citing a psychological evaluation and other factors, the judge then concluded that O'Dell is unlikely to pose a threat to public safety.

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